S04.E19: Vacation

[Harvey]

Quote

After Anna-Kat’s big win with The Wildflower Girls, the Ottos head to California for an all-expenses paid family vacation. But when her birthday coincides with their trip, Katie is determined to have a relaxing kid-free day, one where she and Greg are free to do whatever they want. Meanwhile, Taylor loses all her money on Hollywood Boulevard and Anna-Kat is forced into busking to get them out of trouble; and after crashing their trip, Cooper surprises Katie by making her birthday wish come true

 

[zoey1996]

That was a fun episode.  Loved the pictures for Katy's Katie's birthday that we saw earlier in the season. So many good moments, including the proposal.

Edited May 7, 2020 by zoey1996
Because I should double check name spelling before I post.

[Harvey]

The funny thing is, I too noticed that belt not really being right with the rest of Oliver's outfit even before Cooper brought it up. But I hated to see my boys fighting like that 😞

The scene with Anna-Kat destroying the bubble wrap was so funny, and totally relatable 😄 I mean, who can resist popping all that?

High Greg and Katie were so much fun, those scenes in the car with them doing all that random stuff was amazing and the background music was so good. Overall a really strong episode.,

[readster]

3 hours ago, Harvey said:

The funny thing is, I too noticed that belt not really being right with the rest of Oliver's outfit even before Cooper brought it up. But I hated to see my boys fighting like that

The scene with Anna-Kat destroying the bubble wrap was so funny, and totally relatable I mean, who can resist popping all that?

High Greg and Katie were so much fun, those scenes in the car with them doing all that random stuff was amazing and the background music was so good. Overall a really strong episode.,

This episode was done very well. Even bringing up very good point with a few glaring things with the character. The ending was sweet.

[joanne3482]

When I first saw the episode description I wondered if this would be the obligatory family on ABC network goes to a Disney theme park.  I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't.  

[link417]

“My family, your money” — Where can I find a man to be the Cooper to my Oliver?!

This was another good episode, lots of funny moments. Oliver telling Katie for the umpteenth time that he & Cooper are not gay and Katie whining back in response, “But it’s my birthday!” And Katie grabbing the big Fijis at the end 🤣 (even though Fiji is nasty).

I’m over having to listen to the kids sing, though. And I could have done without the Pump promo/LVP cameo.

[readster]

1 hour ago, link417 said:

This was another good episode, lots of funny moments. Oliver telling Katie for the umpteenth time that he & Cooper are not gay and Katie whining back in response, “But it’s my birthday!” And Katie grabbing the big Fijis at the end (even though Fiji is nasty).

 

I do agree, the gay joke between the two needs to STOP. Even Katie at this point needs to move on from that. 

[iMonrey]

There was either a bad edit or a weird cut when Katie and Greg were getting out of the Uber. Katie tells Greg to get out of the car, and both are wearing seatbelts. Sudden cut to them exiting the car, and neither are wearing seatbelts. 

Good episode for Oliver and Cooper. I can understand Oliver's exasperation with Cooper but I think he just gave up too easily. He should have gone into the store with him and let him try to buy the sweater with the $20. Cooper just doesn't have any concept of how money works. But he should be able to do basic math.

I'm surprised they didn't have Taylor singing for money since the show has been trying to sell her as a singer for two seasons now. I guess they thought the cute little girl would bring in more cash. 

Surprised they didn't find a way to get Tripp in there somehow. 

[readster]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 

Good episode for Oliver and Cooper. I can understand Oliver's exasperation with Cooper but I think he just gave up too easily. He should have gone into the store with him and let him try to buy the sweater with the $20. Cooper just doesn't have any concept of how money works. But he should be able to do basic math.

 

That's even when it's a sitcom you just roll your eyes or go: "oh come on, he had to go through at least 1st grade." I can take kids who are use to people or parents just throwing money at them or buying them whatever they want no problem. HOWEVER... when they start acting like the don't know basic math or ways to do things and end up looking like a 3 year old doing something for the first time. That's when it just takes me out big time no matter if it looks funny or anything. You were waiting for Oliver to just smack Cooper and go: "What did you live in a box until you were 14?" Same with the "house wives" that are just throwing money at things or just expecting everyone to DO WHAT THEY SAY. Didn't they at some point you know... grow up like regular people before marrying rich husbands who just wanted them for sex and throw money to leave them alone. Everyone acts like they grew up in a trailer down by the river. 

[Snow Apple]

I was pleasantly surprised Oliver was happy with the vacation and not whining about how he's flying coach and can't afford the things that Cooper can buy while in LA.

[OpalNightstream]

Taylor asking the actor/character/superheroes for help was a bridge too far. Even for this dopey show. 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Taylor got ripped off on the shell and pea game, the pea should have been under the shell she picked. Anna-Kat continues to steal every scene she's in,lol. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by One4Sorrow2TooBad

[readster]

13 hours ago, OpalNightstream said:

Taylor asking the actor/character/superheroes for help was a bridge too far. Even for this dopey show. 

Right it is up there with Cooper not understanding basic math he would have learned in 1st grade. Just like Tripp doesn't know homophones (where two words sound the same but are spelled and mean something different). Like how he still thanks the Otto family's name is spelled "Auto" like a car. Where both Greg and Katie has just given up on it. Or how someone like the principal could still have a job at the school where he would have been kicked out years ago because he barely knows how to write a letter. 

  It goes too far and the writers are just: "Until they tell us to stop, we are doing it, haha!"

[Bobbin]

11 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

Taylor got ripped off on the shell and pea game, the pea should have been under the shell she picked.

The shell game action was deliberately slowed down and simplified so that the audience, as well as Taylor, would see that Taylor was a victim of sleight of hand, which is how shell games work.

I imagine that Cooper uses a credit card with no limit for everything he buys, so he would be oblivious to the significance of the cost of things. Price is just an abstract number to him. This was a good turnabout for both boys, especially for Oliver, realizing that his family makes him rich in ways that Cooper only dreams of. Gay or not, the boys do love each other.

[readster]

1 hour ago, Bobbin said:

The shell game action was deliberately slowed down and simplified so that the audience, as well as Taylor, would see that Taylor was a victim of sleight of hand, which is how shell games work.

I imagine that Cooper uses a credit card with no limit for everything he buys, so he would be oblivious to the significance of the cost of things. Price is just an abstract number to him. This was a good turnabout for both boys, especially for Oliver, realizing that his family makes him rich in ways that Cooper only dreams of. Gay or not, the boys do love each other.

Right, Taylor being hit with sleight of hand, that made the most sense and they did of course show it that Taylor had been screwed. As for Cooper, I get he has no concept of money costs, but it does get to the point where you wonder if one day he is going to have "no money" from his parents and he will be in for a world of hurt. I really do hope that drop Oliver's "My real rich family" coming for me after this. That needs to die. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

HOWEVER... when they start acting like the don't know basic math or ways to do things and end up looking like a 3 year old doing something for the first time. That's when it just takes me out big time no matter if it looks funny or anything.

I've said this in other episode threads, but the show is based in absurdity, where certain characters would obviously never survive into adulthood in real life. So it doesn't necessarily bother me when they behave like idiots. My objection was to Oliver's giving up on Cooper so quickly because Oliver is one of the few sane "voices of reason" among a cast of cartoon characters. It seems like there should be a fairly easy way for him to make Cooper understand how money works - or at least attempt to - without just throwing up his hands and walking away after the first attempt. His premise was sound - give Cooper $20 and see how far that takes him. He just didn't see it through.

[readster]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

 My objection was to Oliver's giving up on Cooper so quickly because Oliver is one of the few sane "voices of reason" among a cast of cartoon characters. It seems like there should be a fairly easy way for him to make Cooper understand how money works - or at least attempt to - without just throwing up his hands and walking away after the first attempt. His premise was sound - give Cooper $20 and see how far that takes him. He just didn't see it through.

Yet, Greg won't tell a certain social media moron to take a hike. They have hammered it our heads he just wants a father figure and the university just wanted to get rid of him, so they placed him on Greg for his next book. 

[theatremouse]

I didn't enjoy the Oliver Cooper plot. The whole "each has what the other wants" thing has always been the bedrock of their relationship. That's the subtext. Making it the text felt "very special lesson learned" to me and clunky.

[readster]

8 hours ago, theatremouse said:

I didn't enjoy the Oliver Cooper plot. The whole "each has what the other wants" thing has always been the bedrock of their relationship. That's the subtext. Making it the text felt "very special lesson learned" to me and clunky.

The writers have tried "too hard" to show how inept Cooper is. Just like with Tripp being so stupid that he can put on his clothes, but doesn't know what kleenix is really for. The writers want it both ways and the actors are great with comedic timing and delivery. However, then you get it where as proved with Oliver in this episode. They just throw their hands up and give up instead: "No, no... let's try this again, I'll write it down." Or: "Tripp, seriously, did people not teach you homophones or name accents?" "Auto can be with an O, people have first names with Otto and yes, Tripp is usually spelled with one p." Instead they either yell or roll their eyes and never DEAL WITH IT!

[MaryMitch]

I didn't know Anna-Kat could sing like that! Maybe in a future episode we'll see her and Taylor sing together.

[Cowgirl]

I liked this episode too, but the thing that bugged me the most was that Katie never acknowledged Cooper.  She didn't thank him for calling Lisa Vanderpump.  I keep imagining that she thanked him, at least, for coming with his driver to come pick up her and Greg. She hasn't acknowledged Cooper in several episodes.  The kid just wants love, and it doesn't seem like he's getting any from Katie either.  The writers lost an opportunity for a nice little moment there.  Instead, they just continue to make Katie worse and worse.  They have to temper the selfishness, etc. with some heartfelt moments too.  

[chitowngirl]

And yet, Cooper ADORES Katy.

[theatremouse]

Cooper doesn't want affection from Katie. He wants structure from Katie, and he gets that. He likes it when she yells at him and Oliver, because it means she gives enough of a shit about both of them to scold them. That's the stuff he eats up.

[readster]

11 hours ago, theatremouse said:

Cooper doesn't want affection from Katie. He wants structure from Katie, and he gets that. He likes it when she yells at him and Oliver, because it means she gives enough of a shit about both of them to scold them. That's the stuff he eats up.

How true. Shows how much he wants that in his life. Instead of Oliver giving him $20 to learn how to budget money. Katie should go, because she would get through to him. 

[Harvey]

Cooper craves structure & discipline, because he lacks it in his own life. He needs boundaries.

[Keywestclubkid]

I think its the structure thing yes but also the they are an actual "family" they act like they care about each one they care that they are ok or are feeling bad its a "real" family to him that accepts him ...

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 5/11/2020 at 5:23 PM, Cowgirl said:

I keep imagining that she thanked him, at least, for coming with his driver to come pick up her and Greg.

We still don't know how they magically figured out Oliver's phone #.

 

[Cowgirl]

Yes, Cooper craves structure and discipline, but he also craves affection, in my opinion.  But, he's getting nothing from Katie.  She hasn't even looked at him when he's been in the room or with the family in several episodes. 

[Bobbin]

For a sitcom with so many quirky characters, it sure generates a lot of thoughtful analysis and comments. Kudos to the writers.

[ljenkins782]

On 5/8/2020 at 11:18 PM, theatremouse said:

I didn't enjoy the Oliver Cooper plot. The whole "each has what the other wants" thing has always been the bedrock of their relationship. That's the subtext. Making it the text felt "very special lesson learned" to me and clunky.

I liked Oliver admitting that it's embarrassing to have to keep saying that he's too poor to do things. He's always acting so above it all so it was interesting to see him admit to that insecurity.

Cooper is strangely likable, I feel like I should find him annoying, but I don't. Oliver too. The writing for him is the most consistently funny and he delivers his lines well, unlike most of the rest of them. Can Katie every deliver a line without spitting it out with a sneering head toss? It's so cartoonish.